PLRD+Laptop+Project



//**Welcome to the Wireless Laptop Project page. I'm creating this page as a common area in the true sense of a Wiki. This is the place to share ideas, questions and comments about the project. It's also a great place to share links and projects you've created.**//

//Since its inception, Prairie Land Regional Division has actively endeavored to integrate current and emerging technologies into teaching and learning throughout the curriculum, and across all grade levels. Prior to the availability of SuperNet, the jurisdiction designed and implemented an ambitious wide area network to bridge the rather vast distances between schools using radio communication. While this network served students and teachers well at the time, the arrival of SuperNet truly opened up the division to the opportunities that a high speed, high capacity network could offer.//
 * First things first...a history of the project.**

//In the 2005/2006 school year, three schools in the jurisdiction explored the use of video-conference technology to receive or deliver programming, at both the junior and senior high levels. This initiative was made possible due to the generous grant provided by Alberta Education under the Implementation of Video-conferencing Programs to Support Student and Educator Learning program. The Board of Trustees quickly recognized the potential for VC to alleviate the difficulties associated with ensuring student access to specialized instruction in remote, rural schools with extremely small class sizes. Consequently, the Board was able to release funds necessary to provide each school in the jurisdiction access to video-conferencing equipment. These installations were completed during the summer of the 2006 year, and all schools with either junior high or high school populations have a permanent VC suite installed in the building. In addition, Hanna Primary, the sole primary only grades school in the district, has access to a portable unit which will enable them to participate in curricular enhancement opportunities provided by VC on an as-needed basis.//

//During the initial VC implementation, in addition to the installations of VC suites, the jurisdiction installed an open source Course Management System (CMS), Moodle, to better facilitate the distribution of learning resources and activities to participants in VC courses. In addition, the CMS significantly expanded the capacity for collaborative projects between students in the different schools who may share the same VC class. While the potential of this system seems to be recognized by those involved, its use to date has been limited to a few early adopters.//

//Students trying to access the CMS are currently hindered due to the fact that the VC suites have limited computer access in the rooms. Consequently, in-class CMS use during VC delivery requires that students access computers in other classrooms, thereby isolating them from their peers and removes them from the supervision of the VC teacher. In addition, while the CMS is available to students outside school hours, their access may be further limited by the resources available in their homes. Internet availability is typically dial-up in rural PLRD communities, and this increases the time spent actually accessing digital resources. As well, there may be other demands on home computers from siblings and parents.//

//Currently, video-conferencing is being used to provide small classes across the jurisdiction with French at the elementary level, Art at the junior high level, and both Chemistry and Biology at the senior high level. In addition, it is regularly used for departmental collaboration within the jurisdiction, for professional development and for student access to specialized supports from agencies such as Edmonton Consulting Services. It is strongly felt that use of video-conferencing throughout the jurisdiction will only continue to grow.// At this point in time the specific courses at each school have not been finalized. Factors that will influence the choice of VC courses offered include enrolment fluctuations and possible staffing changes.

//Teachers who are delivering VC courses will take a leadership role at each of the sites involved in the project. They will be expected to be ambassadors for the delivery of VC courses and the one-to-one mobile computing initiative within the school and the community. In addition to teaching and monitoring student progress, they will liaise with other teachers at their sites to assist with integrating the use of the laptops in traditional classroom settings and will form the core, jurisdiction-based community of practice. As part of the community of practice they will also be expected to develop course materials and to post them within a course management system (Moodle). They will also assist with the creation and administration of measurement instruments, contribute to meeting reporting requirements and provide an initial contact for VC teachers at other sites. VC lead teachers will be expected to monitor the status of hardware and to contact district technicians for support when necessary.//

//School Administrators in the five schools will be expected to be ambassadors for the delivery of VC courses and the one-to-one mobile computing initiative within their school and their community. An expectation to help collect and interpret data is a requirement that will encourage administrators to focus on key elements of the mobile computing initiative. Participation in community of practice events or professional development will be encouraged as some of our administrators may deliver VC courses. Monitoring conditions of hardware with regular checks will assist the teachers and technical staff in delivery of course programs.// //**Initiative Description:**// //Over the past two years, one of the most significant challenges facing the effective implementation of program delivery via video-conferencing has been the issue of diverse school calendars and timetables. After much discussion and deliberation, Prairie Land school administrators determined that the most effective solution to this problem would be the creation of “pods” of similar schools forming virtual campuses which would operate under the same calendar and high school timetable. This would not only facilitate course scheduling on a daily basis, but would also ensure that course cycling in the schools would follow the same pattern. Specialized staff in different schools would then be available to deliver content in their areas of expertise to all students in the “pod”, thereby guaranteeing student access to that expertise regardless of their physical location.//

//The schools in the eastern portion of the jurisdiction are not only similar in size, but also similar in community demographics and form the target group for this initiative. These schools have extremely small class sizes, which typically result in multi-grade class configurations at all levels. Even at the high school level, courses are cycled in such a way that more than one age group must access the 10, 20 or 30 level courses they require at the same time. Video-conferencing is seen to be the most efficient means of ensuring students in this pod have access to quality learning opportunities and professional expertise, and it is assumed that all students at the high school level will access at least one course per semester by VC. Additionally, grade 9 students have been a significant population in the receipt of instructional content in this format. It is anticipated that during the initial three years of the project, the target group would include an average of fifty-four students per year, (maximum in any of those years being approximately fifty-nine students) and seven teachers.//

//In a VC environment, students and teachers need to be able to interact effectively outside the restrictions imposed by the nature of that particular classroom environment. In the traditional classroom, students may participate in group projects, share resources, develop social skills and readily communicate one-on-one with their teacher. These are critical components of a positive classroom experience. However, while these activities can occur in a VC classroom, it is far more difficult to facilitate without the use of additional computer resources, access to which may vary incredibly from school to school. In addition, it is important for students to be able to communicate and collaborate on projects outside school hours with relative ease. Not only will the one-to-one mobile computing initiative extend the learning environment for VC students beyond the classroom walls and broaden the ability of students to access digital resources to support the curricular content of the courses in which they are engaged, it will also enhance their ability to compete in a “flattened” global economy where on-line collaboration is becoming the rule rather than the exception (Friedman 2006). With increased access to network based resources on a continual basis throughout the day, they will be able to directly contribute to the learning process, both for themselves, and for their peers.//

//Existing research clearly indicates that student interest, engagement and motivation increase with the use of one-to-one mobile computing. (Alberta Education 2006b) At the same time, in VC environments where student participation was seen as a necessity rather than a choice, engagement was not as high as may be desirable (Alberta Education 2006a). Obviously, ensuring student engagement is critical to learner success and teacher satisfaction. Research in video-conferencing education indicates that the best approach to technology adoption utilizes a blend of interactive/non-interactive, synchronous/asynchronous and independent/collaborative learning technologies (Alberta Education 2006a). By building on and enriching the existing divisional CMS, and by implementing one-to-one mobile computing, PLRD will explore the effectiveness of this combined approach to distance delivery, particularly as it relates to the acquisition of 21st century skills and student engagement. This approach will enrich and expand student learning opportunities as identified in Provincial Goal 1, Strategy 1.8. As well, it will help the jurisdiction meet other provincial and local goals and outcomes such as Provincial Goal 1, Strategy 1.10 on the use of technology to “increase program choice and access for students in rural communities” and the PLRD strategy of supporting “////schools in providing for alternative delivery of programs (i.e. online courses, outreach programs, video-conferencing).”//

__**Outcomes**__

Participation in the one-to-one mobile computing initiative in PLRD is expected to have similar outcomes to those found in jurisdictions already using this technology, as well as some unique to the division. For example, one side benefit to students who may be the member of a grade group made up of only one or two students may be in an improved social life and sense of self. In order to measure the success of the initiative, both quantitative and qualitative measures will be used. Measurement instruments will include student, staff and parent satisfaction surveys, analysis of academic results, and determination of actual use of the CMS by staff and students (increase or decrease). Specific outcomes that will be measured are as follows:


 * 1) **Outcome:** Students will display increased engagement in their VC courses

a. Measure: Students reporting satisfaction with their VC courses. b. Measure: Access by students to the CMS outside school hours. c. Measure: Parents reporting satisfaction with student interest and participation in VC classes. d. Measure: Number of queries students post in course discussion boards.

(for measures a/b/c an on-line survey tool using Survey Monkey has been developed and baseline data was gathered from a survey of parents/students in the 2005/2006 school year)


 * 1) **Outcome:** Students will display an overall increase in 21st century skills

a. Measure: Testing of critical thinking and problem solving using assessment tools integrated in the CMS (on-line postings of student work in Moodle will be analyzed and coded for level of critical thinking)

b. Measure: Changes in amount of tech support access to resolve simple issues with the use of both hardware and software.


 * 1) **Outcome:** Academic achievement, writing skills, and attitudes will improve.

a. Measure: Diplomas Exam Results (for diploma exam courses the VC cohort group scores will be compared to district results)

b. Measure: Changes in the caliber of student writing across the curriculum and in computer mediated communication (for diploma exam courses the writing component of the English 30-1 & 30-2 scores will be compared to district results)

c. Measure: Students reporting overall satisfaction with their schooling (on-line student survey will be used).


 * 1) **Outcome:** Teachers will move away from traditional practice and increase participation in professional learning communities and report increased job satisfaction.

a. Measure: Measurable change in the quantity of on-line course development resources in the CMS (the number of course modules posted by teachers in Moodle will be monitored)

b. Measure: Teachers reporting a sense of satisfaction/accomplishment with their VC classes (an on-line staff survey is being developed)


 * 1) **Outcome:** Students will build social relationships with their classmates from other schools and develop skills in computer mediated communication.

a. Measure: Students identifying their peers at remote sites as “friends”. b. Measure: Parents and teachers reporting increased social confidence in students (for measures a/b an on-line survey will be developed) c. Measure: Student engagement in curricular specific dialogs using CMC will be monitored)

Based on interim evaluations, it may be necessary to adjust the initiative to address issues that arise. Key to the process will be the input of the professional staff members involved who are actively participating in the program. At the annual June planning session, issues will be identified and appropriate solutions will be developed. These will be communicated to students and parents each fall during local school meetings. At the same time, suggestions from parents and students may be incorporated into the process.

Assuming a laptop life-span of five years, sustaining the program beyond that initial time period will be a challenge given current funding levels. However, conventional wisdom seems to suggest that laptop prices will continue to follow the current downward trend in pricing. Within five years, the costs may be such that this will cease to be as significant an issue. If future laptop prices approximate the current desktop prices, sustainability could be incorporated into the jurisdiction’s existing evergreening practice. PLRD will be exploring sustainability options throughout the life of the project, as well as the potential viability of expanding the scope of the program to the next level. While funding factors will clearly dictate the extent to which it can be both sustained and expanded, it is worth noting that both parents and the board have typically been very supportive of programs which are clearly shown to benefit student learning.
 * Sustainability:**

PLRD will participate in the knowledge sharing activities coordinated by Alberta Education, and actively pursue opportunities to release its findings to local stakeholders, jurisdictional and zone agencies and other interested groups both provincially and inter-provincially. In the past, PLRD staff members have shared information resulting from a vast array of initiatives at such diverse events as the National Congress on Rural Education in Saskatoon, JTC events, post-secondary institutions and the Summer Broadband Institute. PLRD looks forward to continuing this practice.
 * Knowledge Sharing:**

**[[image:cube_on_pencil.gif align="left"]]Creating with Curriculum and Web 2.0**
Visit the next wikipage to view some current thought provoking perspectives on teaching digital immigrants in current school environments.